The United States Thursday welcomed the agreement of Albania, Canada, Chile, Mexico and Uganda to take in Afghans being evacuated after the Taliban returned to power.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken applauded Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who announced on Sunday that he had agreed to provide temporary refuge for hundreds of Afghans on their way to the United States.

Blinken thanked Rama for "continuing Albania's proud tradition of sheltering those in need," the US State Department said.

The US State Department also expressed its thanks to Qatar and Kuwait, where thousands of Afghans arrive to complete visa procedures.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price also thanked Uganda, whose President Yoweri Museveni said he is ready to receive Afghans temporarily, stressing that consultations are underway with many European allies for the same goal.

Ned Price noted that Canada, Chile and Mexico had agreed to host Afghan nationals, praising their position.

Canada said it would take in as many as 20,000 refugees under a special programme.

The United States agreed to accept thousands of Afghans who worked as translators or in other support roles in its operations during its twenty-year presence in this country.

With the return of the Taliban to power, Washington has expanded the program to include others who feel threatened, including women's rights activists, NGO workers, and journalists.